Santa Monica, California is usually a hotbed of book activity during the YallWest Festival. It features a beautiful backdrop and beautiful authors sharing their beautiful books, but this year needs to be different. Thus, they’ve re-branded for their sixth year: YallStayHome. What does that mean? All of the content they were building toward will now be yours… virtually.
On Saturday, April 25th and Sunday, April 26th, they will be putting on virtual panels, smackdowns, and keynotes that you can individually register for based on your interests and author obsessions. Likewise, as noted in the graphic, they will provide giveaways, special events, and share live content via Instagram so it is best to follow them on their social media platforms in addition to checking their website. They can be found on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and Instagram.
I have to admit that I’ve always loved the videos and photos that come out of an event that’s across the country that I’d probably never attend in person, so to be a part of it is a boon. Though I’ll also admit that I won’t be plugged in for the two-day event because I’ve already committed to the Dewey 24-hour readathon which I take very seriously.
Whether you’re going all in or just picking a few sessions, consider also sharing with the teens you serve (as I already have) the three contests that teens aged 13-19 can enter until April 19th. There’s one for fan art and two for writing.
When so many activities are at your fingertips while everyone is staying at home, choose this one because the content is rich and deep while bringing a much needed dose of happiness.
Fast forward to 2020 and my digital reading of The Dark Matter of Mona Starr which I had on my TBR on Goodreads since it was announced she’d be releasing a new graphic novel. Then boom. I sat down and in one sitting didn’t move an inch while I poured over the illustrations and words. I knew I’d be writing about it. My initial reviews always go up on Goodreads which are usually fresh and raw after reading (and as soon as I can string a somewhat coherent sentence together after being awestruck) and in that review I said that I needed Gulledge to do a series focused on female character struggles that can be used as guides just as both of these are.
Maybe it’s because I’m a woman or maybe it’s because I’m a librarian, but either way, I want to take a moment to celebrate books about periods. They’ve been kind of having a moment. And I knew I wanted to share a post about periods two days ago when I finished Lily Williams and Karen Schneeman’s graphic novel published by First Second this past January called Go With the Flow. It’s a celebration of menstruation and friendship alongside actively advocating for rights.
But let’s also give it up for the most memorable scene where Sasha’s blood-stained pants are showing as the girls usher her to the bathroom and why the book works so well in its graphic novel format. Most can empathize or sympathize with her situation and it’s the kind of thing that is discussed in other books discussing periods: the truthful portrayal.
Fat Tuesday is also Paczki Day. Paczkis are Polish doughnuts usually with jelly filling and rolled in either powdered sugar or granulated sugar. They’re made on Fat Tuesday in preparation for the Lenten season’s austerity. This past Monday, I homemade them and was excited to share them with my family, colleagues, and neighbors who all know my love for baking.
Romance is not a category of fiction that I seek out regularly. But give me a good romance on the small screen like Netflix has done with Jenny Han’s book series and I’m sold.
Marie Lu’s Rebel, the fourth book in the Legend world that takes place in the future in which Daniel’s brother, Eden, is attending university in Antarctica where they’ve settled while June is still working in the Republic. The story, like Lu’s others, have two narrators that are differentiated by the text color as they pace the book out with the developing conflict as it switches fluidly back and forth. The world she creates is superb and the futuristic action is heart-pounding.
Monica Hesse’s yet-to-be-released They Went Left that’s anticipated for an April release. Not only have I read Hesse’s other YA historical fiction titles, but her adult nonfiction book American Fire. All showcase her skillful writing. This one fits in a newer focus of YA books on the liberation of Jews after World War II like the Morris finalist from last year, What The Night Sings by Vesper Stemper. Hesse dives into this world with Zofia, who has lost most of her family but still holds out hope that her younger brother Abek has survived. Shifting to several places before settling into a relocation camp where she meets a brooding boy, Josef, she is reunited with Abek but questions about what both boys have been through since the war broke out provide the riveting content of the book’s second half. Put this at the top of your list for April.
Readers Be Advised 